41/ 22 THE AMERICAN BOTANIST. 



Later, in fact, just now, I have been reading Waddell's 

 ''Climbing in the Himalaya," which embraces theCashmir 

 region. Here peaks are described up to 26,000 feet alti- 

 tude. I have also read the later explorations in the Vin- 

 chenjunga region — the highest of all, — and Mrs. Bird 

 Bishop's "The Yangtse and Be^'ond" in which she ap- 

 proaches Thibet from the Chinese side. Her accounts of 

 the flora on those upper waters among the mountains are 

 calculated to drive a plant-lover crazy. 



In all these books, but Waddell's more especially, I am 

 surprised to find among a list of unfamiliar species, some 

 common lowland weeds that we all know. With us thej' 

 are adventive from Europe. They can hardly be so there, 

 as the mountains have been very infrequently visited. Re- 

 member that they are found at 10,000 feet and upwards. 

 Some of the surrounding peaks, of course snow-covered, 

 attain an altitude of 26,000 to 29,000 feet and are in a 

 constant state of rapid disintegration. 



Among the familiar plants noted are Fragaria. vesca, 

 Oxyria digyna (alpine even with us), Draha incana (also 

 alpine), Viola canina a variety of Prim «/a farinosa, Poten- 

 tilla anserina (abundant on certain river-bottom lands 

 here in Rhode Island), Hippuris vulgaris, Potentilla fruti- 

 cosa, var, the dandelion, etc. Indeed we could add manj^ 

 more. 



It seems odd to see these weeds sandwiched in among 

 a lot of unfamiliar species. But here again, most of the 

 genera, like Veronica, Primula, Luzula, Myosotis, are old 

 friends. To be sure, some, like Saussurea, are not of our 

 acquaintance. Edelweiss {Leontopodium alpinum) turns 

 up as in Switzerland. 



In conclusion, I will say that to me natural history 

 travel, written by the intelligent and open-eyed and devoid 

 of politics and talk of "spheres of influence," has always 

 been a delight. For over thirty years I have kept notes 

 on such reading, and often find them of sudden use in lec- 

 tures or talks. 



If one cannot himself journey, he escapes sea-sickness, 



